Archives

latestNovember 07, 2016

Foster 'Gratitude Attitude' to Model Good Behavior at Home

Q: My daughter's fifth-grade teacher has students keep a "gratitude" journal. She says it's part of their "social-emotional learning" curriculum. Isn't that more for Sunday school?... more

October 31, 2016

Teaching Kids How to Be Patient Learners

Q: My third-grader is an impatient learner. He's smart enough, but if he doesn't get something right away, he gets upset and gives up. How can I help him?... more

October 24, 2016

Some Suggestions on How to Get Kids to Start Reading

Q: My son used to devour book series like "Big Nate" and "Captain Underpants" when he was younger. Now in sixth grade, he never reads for fun anymore. He seems to have lost interest in books. Should I... more

October 17, 2016

Tips on Teaching Kids How to Stand Up to Bullying

Q: Another kid calls my son names and pokes him in school. I told his fourth-grade teacher about the bullying. She said she would watch for this behavior, but suggested a website so I could teach him ... more

October 10, 2016

Be Aware of Changes to FAFSA When Filing for Student Aid

Q: Our first child is a senior applying to college. We need all the aid we can get. The admissions officer at one university we visited advised of changes to the FAFSA. What are they?... more

October 03, 2016

Daughter's Stuttering Has Parent Worried

Q: I worry that my daughter, who is in preschool, may have a stuttering problem. She repeats syllables. Her preschool teacher says it's normal and she'll outgrow it, but I don't want to take that chan... more

September 26, 2016

Teen Encounters Newfound Pressures in Middle School

Q: My usually confident daughter Charisse just entered middle school and is under a lot of different pressures, including from new peers. It's hard talking with her about it, but I sense her dilemma. ... more

September 19, 2016

Channel Kids' Political Fights Into Substantive Discussions

Q: My high school-aged daughter and son have been assigned to watch C-SPAN and political shows about the presidential election. She supports Hillary Clinton. He's for Donald Trump. They end up screami... more

September 12, 2016

Third-Grader's Anxieties About School Worry Parent

Q: My third-grade daughter is struggling in school. She is anxious and thinks she's dumb. I'm worried that she might have a learning problem. How can I find out?... more

September 05, 2016

Tips on Teaching Kids 'Executive Functioning'

Q: Our son is having a rocky start in middle school. It's thrown him completely off balance. He forgets assignments and can't manage time. The counselor thinks he needs better "executive functioning s... more

August 29, 2016

Tips on Getting Kids Excited for the New School Year

Q: My daughter, a first-grader, is thrilled to be back in school, but my son, who's in third grade, is fighting it, especially homework. Nothing happened last year to make him reluctant to go back, so... more

August 22, 2016

Family Dinners a Great Way to Stay Connected With Kids

Q: Our middle school sent home tips for back-to-school success; one of them was to "enjoy family dinners together frequently." With three teens in grades 7 through 11 who are going in different direct... more

August 15, 2016

Daughter's Plagiarism Must Be Addressed Before College

Q: My daughter, a high-school sophomore, was proud to get into a summer course in leadership at a local college. However, she got an incomplete because the professor said she plagiarized her paper. No... more

August 08, 2016

Books and Apps That Can Teach Kids How to Save and Invest

Q: My daughters, ages 9 and 10, are earning money doing chores for neighbors such as dog walking, watering plants and redeeming cans. I want to teach them about investing and running a business before... more

August 01, 2016

Divorcing? Let Kids' Teachers Know

Q: My husband and I just divorced; our two elementary school-aged daughters will spend the school week with me and most weekends with him. They are still dealing with the impact of their father moving... more

July 25, 2016

Advice on Making Plans for Educational Road Trip

Q: We want to take an educational family road trip so our kids -- going into third, fourth and sixth grades -- can experience things beyond our small town. Do you have any suggestions? No theme parks,... more

July 18, 2016

TEEN MUST LEARN TO STRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT, NOT PERFECTION

Q: My daughter Mikayla, a high school freshman, recently moved in with my new wife and me. She's such a perfectionist! Her room looks like Martha Stewart cleaned it. She's a competitive athlete and an... more

July 11, 2016

GET KIDS ACQUAINTED WITH KINDERGARTEN BEFORE FIRST DAY

Q: My 5-year old daughter, Illana, has been so excited about starting kindergarten, but suddenly she cries when we talk about it and insists she's staying home with her sister. She loved preschool, so... more

July 04, 2016

Parent Wonders if Joining the PTO Would Be a Good Fit

Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more

July 03, 2016

Parent Wonders if Joining the PTO Would Be a Good Fit

Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effectiv... more

June 27, 2016

Great Kids' Book Ideas for Long Family Road Trips

Q: We're taking an August road trip with our 7-, 9- and 11-year-old boys. The backseat DVD player is broken. We'll leave it that way to encourage reading. What books might make the miles fly by?... more

June 20, 2016

Reining in Kids' Use of Screen Time During Summer Break

Q: My grandkids are coming for a week and my daughter has asked me to keep them "off the grid," except for emergencies. The kids (11 and 13) are glued to their phones and she feels their health is at ... more

June 13, 2016

Use the Summer Break to Improve Daughter's Writing Skills

Q: My 10-year-old daughter, Marilee, can text up a storm, but can't write a book report or a two-paragraph description of an event. She's a pretty good reader, but her teacher says her writing skills ... more

June 06, 2016

Stepparents Must Align Different Ideas About Kids' School

Q: We have a newly blended family thanks to a recent marriage. My husband and I have different views about school for our teens. I'm casual. He's strict, causing family tension. The school counselor s... more

May 30, 2016

Tips on Keeping Kids' Skills Sharp in the Summer

Q: My 20-year-old niece, a college student, will take care of our girls this summer. They're going into fifth and sixth grade. I want them to have fun and practice a few academic skills, so they don't... more

May 23, 2016

Don't Scoff at Reading Aloud to Older Kids

Q: Our school librarian sent home a list of books to encourage summer reading. I was surprised to see picture books on the third-grade list. She also recommended "reading to and with your children, ev... more

May 16, 2016

Family-Led Science Activities Enrich Kids' Summer Vacation

Q: A neighbor and I want to give our five kids (ages 8, 10 and 11) science experiences this summer, as we can't afford camps at nearby colleges. How can we plan something valuable across those age ran... more

May 09, 2016

Teach For America a Noble Choice for Graduating Senior

Q: My daughter, a rising college senior, finds volunteer tutoring very satisfying. She will graduate in January and wants to apply for a two-year stint at Teach For America. I think she should start h... more

May 02, 2016

Planning a Charter School Is a Challenging Endeavor

Q: Our elementary school is quashing creativity. A group of us parents thinks the lack of arts education, field trips and the like squeezes the joy out of learning. We aren't opposed to tests, and we ... more

April 25, 2016

Teenage Son Considering Career-Technical Education

Q: My eighth-grade son wants to go into a new program his high school will offer that has a technical-career focus. My husband loves the idea. My son is a B-minus student at best, but I'd still like t... more

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